By- Tannu Puri
The Delhi government has long prohibited petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years from operating within the city. Following a recent announcement, starting March 31, 2025, vehicles older than 15 years that are not allowed to operate in Delhi and the surrounding NCR region will also be denied fuel at city petrol pumps. This move, part of a series of pollution control measures, was discussed by Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa during a meeting with the Environment Department officials on Saturday.
In addition to restricting fuel access for older vehicles, Sirsa revealed that all high-rise buildings, hotels, and commercial complexes in Delhi must install anti-smog guns to help reduce air pollution levels. Currently, Delhi has over 100,000 end-of-life vehicles. These older vehicles, which are prohibited from operating in the city, can still be sold to other states if a No-Objection Certificate is obtained.
Following the meeting, Sirsa confirmed, “We have decided to stop fueling vehicles older than 15 years after March 31, 2025. A team will be set up to identify such vehicles.” A senior Delhi government official further explained that many fuel stations in Delhi have already installed AI-enabled cameras to monitor violations of the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate rules. “These cameras currently detect vehicles without a PUC certificate, and fuel pump staff refuse fuel to those vehicles. We will upgrade our system to enable these cameras to identify vehicle ages as well,” the official said. Fuel pumps without these devices will have them installed soon.
Sirsa also criticized the previous AAP government for failing to address air pollution effectively and for not using the allocated funds. “We attempted to find solutions for diseases caused by pollution. The previous government took no action to reduce air and water pollution. This meeting focused on air pollution, and the funds allocated were left unused,” he stated. The meeting, which lasted over three hours, focused solely on air pollution issues.
During the meeting, Sirsa outlined three major pollution sources: dust, vehicle emissions, and construction-related pollution. He mentioned that the government is working to identify vehicles coming from outside Delhi, deploying sprinklers, and engaging Delhi University students for a plantation drive. Efforts are also underway to target major polluting organizations and require them to reduce emissions using advanced technology. Additionally, new forests will be developed on barren land to combat pollution.
The government also plans to phase out almost 90% of CNG-powered public transport buses by December 2025, replacing them with electric buses to promote cleaner and more sustainable transportation. By 2026, 11,000 buses, including around 8,000 e-buses, will be procured. Sirsa confirmed that 3,680 e-buses will be purchased by September this year to encourage greater use of public transport. Presently, approximately 7,600 buses, including 2,000 e-buses, are operating in the city.
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